I am looking for a little advice on a trolling motor setup for my outback. I want to put a motor on it so that I can go upstream in slow rivers and be able to motor back in if weather gets rough in the bay. However, I am not too sure what combination of what I should buy.PLEASE!!! I am looking for specifics here since I don't know much about a trolling motors or batteries.

I would really appreciate... "I have X motor with a Ybattery set up like this, and it works good/bad.Thank you in advance!

I have had a few on my Outback & Kona. Origionally, I had a 45thrust Powerdrive MinKota with an Optima Group 34. I have to admit, it was overkill, however I got such a great deal on the motor. Also had the remote foot pedals in my lap for steering.

PROS- FAST! You'll be limited to the speed based on Hull design, but it was nice knowing that I could make a decent wake. - I would spend 4-5 hrs cruising at good speeds and never run out- Removable Bow mount for it

CONS- WAY TOO HEAVY

I switched to a WalMArt special 24Group battery- that made it much easier to carry around

I know utilize Tom Kirkmans mounting method and purchased a small 18lb thrust motor. Couldnt be happier. Still use the Group 24 battery.

Unless you are going with Lithium batteries (VERY expensive) make sure you get a SEALED deep cycle battery, either Gel or AGM type. AGM are most common.

I'd make light weight a premium and start with a U-1 size 35AH battery. Weighs a little under 30lbs. Going to Group 24 or 27 batteries will get you up over 50 to 100AH, but the weight is easily 50+ lbs.

See how much you end up using the battery to fight current, troll, run from place to place, etc. If you decide you need more power you can always add a second battery or get a bigger one. You'll probably want the option of having different size/capacity batteries for different circumstances anyway.

Respectfully, there is a TON of info on this topic available by searching this and other forums. It is a complex subject without simple " get A + B" answers.

Thanks Guys this helps. I had a simple Minn Kota C2 Endura all picked out, but was told I should really buy a motor with a power maximizer ect. Those are bigger motors and more money. And that kind of derailed me.

I am willing to buy what I need, but I don't want to buy all the wrong stuff. Unfortunately, my experience with electric motors was in the early 80's and haven't use one since. Hence this post to see what everyone else is using.

I'm sure I will have you all good an annoyed by the time I get my Kayaks Rigged. Thanks for your Patients with me

The less sexy aspect of this topic that hardly anyone talks about is safety.

You're adding a lot of weight, a lot of electricity, and spinning blades very near your body in a confined space in the middle of the water. Consider carefully what will happen if you turtle and/or fall out of the boat.

For example, I see surprisingly few people integrate a killswitch into their home-brew designs. All the major professional systems (Torqueedo/Evolve, Torque, Bassyaks) have them. Do you want to chase down your boat if you fall out? Do you want a spinning prop near your body if you're suddenly in the water?

How does the added weight & how it's distributed affect righting the boat and re-entry? How does it affect the center of gravity to keep the boat stable?

my trolling motor on my outback is a 18# thrust selvor coupled with a 35amp agm sealed battery. mounted in my stern rod holder. could not be happier with power to weight. only change i'd make is to get a small watersnake motor. props are impossible to get for the selvor and are not interchangeable with watersnake

Their very smallest one will fit the Watersnake/Sevylor motor. It's a weedless model. Surprisingly, although it appears to be a much better made prop than what these companies ship their motors with, it didn't change the top speed of any of my boats by even .1 MPH.

I am assuming they still offer that prop for their older motors. I don't think any of their newer and larger motors are fit with that little prop. I think it's an MKP-2 but no longer have the package. Just check your motor diameter first.

my 18 # sevylor has a 5.7 dia two bladed prop. 3/8 shaft. the 18 lb watersnake props i ordered were larger dia. If anyone out there has a part number for my animal please share. I've juried rigged a metal one by cutting off the hub so it will fit the shaft length and running a coiter pin thru it. Luckily i have no vibrations and it's doing well. but i know it's just a matter of time before we meet an oyster rock.